St. James the Great was the son of Zebedee, a fisherman from Galilee, and Salome, a pious woman. His younger brother was John the Evangelist.
St. James the Great and his brother John were fishing with their father Zebedee when Jesus invited them to follow Him on His ministry (Matthew 4:19). Right there and then, they left their father and followed Jesus.
They were called Boanerges (son of thunder) by Jesus because of their impulsiveness. When a Samaritan town did not receive Jesus, the brothers suggested that He should call down fire from heaven to consume it. Jesus reprimanded them for vengeful attitude.
St. James the Great witnessed Jesus teaching with authority in the synagogue and the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law. He was present, together with John and Peter, when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. He was chosen to be among the apostles to accompany Jesus up to Mt. Tabor to pray. It was there that he witnessed the Transfiguration, with Jesus speaking to Moses and Elijah, as God spoke from a cloud. He also accompanied Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani before He was arrested.
St. James the Great believed that he had power and authority over the other apostles and asked that Jesus have him and his brother sit on His right and left hand when He came into His glory. Jesus loved them so much that He did not castigate them; He just told them they did not know what they were asking. They only saw Jesus earthly throne but not the Cross that He had to carry.
The request of St. James the Great angered the other apostles but Jesus used the opportunity to teach all of them that in order to be great one must be a servant.
St. James the Great was the first apostle to die as a martyr. During the persecution under King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44, St. James was captured and condemned to death. It was said that the man who arrested James was so impressed by his courage that he became a convert. He spoke at his trial and was executed with him.
As we celebrate the Feast of St. James the Great, let us remember his courage. Let us also pray that we may be privileged to be special friends of Jesus and be willing to abandon everything to follow Him.
A typical Pilipino family will only use ordinary utensils during meal time. Others would perhaps be contented using their hands in eating, that is why, “kamayan” is very much popular in some other restaurants. We simply set aside and keep our elegant utensils in our cabinets and use these things during fiestas, birthdays, weddings and some other celebrations in the family. Others make use of this as decorations. This is what I observe even in my family. My mom used to keep all these and use it occasionally. But we cannot escape from the reality that sometimes we find ourselves in a formal gathering. Fragile and glittering utensils arrayed in various shapes and sizes in front of us and it seems that we are not comfortable in using all these things simply because we are not accustomed with these. We seemingly become alien, an outsider and perhaps think that we don’t belong to this kind of gathering. When people seem to notice us, they might think that we are not part of the group. Perhaps, they would secretly mock for we don’t know how to use these simple things.
This was also the impression of the Pharisees seeing Jesus eating with the tax collectors and sinners during his time. They do not belong and should not even mingle with these people who were considered outcast in the Jewish community but then Jesus break the prevalent notion that time to concretize the content and meaning of the Reign of God. He does not proclaim the Kingdom verbally but he translates it into a way of life. This would mean that his preaching and his ministry are inseparable. In the gospel, Jesus portrayed as always coming from, going to and talking about banquet, feast and meals that is why those people who were against him branded him as glutton and drunkard and friend of tax collectors and sinners. He is seen as companions at table with the condemned citizens of his time but he chose this medium to proclaim and celebrate God’s inclusive love.
In the Jewish culture, dining together signals an intimate expression of friendship and communion. It is a manifestation of a deep companionship, belongingness and acceptance. This is what Jesus did; he broke bread together with the low class citizens of his time. “He accepts everyone no matter what their background and social standing. Social distinction, stratification and cultural taboos have been cut of in the presence of Jesus. He accepted people as they are, reached out to them as fellow human beings and in this way he created a new kind of friendship among peoples.”(Bredin, pp115). There is no outsider in the kingdom of God for there is no restriction in the heavenly banquets.
Another way to make the kingdom concrete is through Jesus’ healing, exorcism and miracles. These are the vivid evidence that the power of God is active to save. Though there are debates existing concerning the authenticity of narrative account about nature miracles. Other authors suggest that these narratives were just a creation of the early Christians. Whatever it may be, what is certain was that it is not a mere display of power but rather an enfleshment of the Reign of God. It is the action that translate the meaning of the word and that is why miracles and exorcism plays an important role in making real the meaning of salvation. Jesus’ actions are actually re-building of broken relationships and communication both with God and his people. But these renovations would always be in the context of faith. This magnificent ministry of Jesus does not only calls for communion but an invitation to the unconditional faith in God; faith that leads to conversion.
As I was pondering, I came to realize the importance of belongingness. We are all incline to associate with others. Perhaps this is also what makes life more meaningful, the feeling that you are accepted and loved by others. I could hardly imagine how they live, those people who were alienated and perhaps even chose to deprive themselves of human relation because of social standard. But here is this man named Jesus who also chose to deviate with what is conventional to revitalize this essential aspect of human existence. The famous “Hapag ng Pag-asa” painted by Joey Velasco is a modern way of bringing into relevance the teachings of Jesus into this modern epoch. “Kamayan” together with these less privilege individuals is a concrete response to the inclusive membership of the kingdom of God.
“To glorify God by being faithful stewards of all that is entrusted to us;To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with us”
It has been almost a year when I first stepped into the pedestal of that golden – yellow building called STARJED Micro-financing Corporation, bringing a big question mark in my mind what a seminarian do in a financing institution. Yet, as time quickly flies, God has blessed me more than the things I prayed for. It was so rich and memorable that I could not afford to keep it unshared.
On this month of July, the time of my entrance to Starjed, I would just like to thank all of you for accepting me as I am and for believing in my potentiality. In my short span of stay, I could describe Starjed in one simple word: “COMMUNITAS”, that is, community within a community. Starjed is operating not only as a lending firm but with great involvement in religious activities. “We”, (just allow myself to be included huh!) creates a miniature world within the greater and bigger community. Starjed builds its communitas in the context of table fellowship, kaon diri. . . kaon didto. . . murag usa lang ka tawo ang walay effect ang kaon para niya, si Mam Madel (peace!). We form new relationships with our new employees and staffs by dining together sipping “sabaw sa libuo” that dedicatedly prepared by Nang Norma and Sir Dodong. I have many things to share yet, just allow me to keep things in private, I suspect I could not describe it fully.
In closing, I am very much happy that I became part of Starjed’s blissful journey. My simple yet colorful vignette at starjed has been carved deep in my heart and it will perpetually be cherished.
The letters “INRI” are initials for the Latin title that Pontius Pilate had written over the head of Jesus Christ on the cross (John 19:19). Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire.
The words were "Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm." Latin uses “I” instead of the English “J”, and “V” instead of “U” (i.e., Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum). The English translation is "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
The Early Church adopted the first letters of each word of this inscription “INRI” as a symbol. Throughout the centuries INRI has appeared in many paintings of the crucifixion.
Although John’s gospel refers to the writing as a “title,” Mark and Matthew both refer to it as an “accusation.” It was customary to set up over the heads of persons crucified the crime for which they suffered, and the name of the sufferer. The accusation on which Jesus had been condemned by Pilate was his claiming to be the King of the Jews. Ironically, the “crime” for which Jesus was crucified is not a crime at all, but an absolutely true statement. Not only is Jesus King of the Jews, He is the King of all – the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14 and 19:16). He is King over the entire universe and all its inhabitants. And it was not any crime of His own that was nailed to the cross; it was the crimes (sins) of everyone who would ever put his or her faith in Him for salvation. He has “blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14)
By the way, Pilate's title for Christ was actually written in three languages(Hebrew, Greek and Latin) .
For so long a time that I have been observing my own dynamics I could not deny that fact that I always find myself so affected and moved by mere lyrics of a song, regardless of its genre. I have been hearing and singing this song many times but it is only this time that I come to appreciate it more.
This is what HOLY WEEK is all about. It is not just a religious and cultural “observance”but more importantly a “loving remembrance” of Jesus’ unqualified love for all His wayward and unfaithful FRIENDS (No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends…Jn.15:13). We commemorate on this shameful and bloody event in the history of humanity not to perpetuate such act and the pain that it caused but an opportunity to “recollect” our acts of unfaithfulness to a Friend who is ever faithful to his promise even at the point of losing His own self and, at the same time, to “celebrate” the victory of our salvation of which we experience here and now, and yet a continuous hope that in the eyes of faith, we “believe” that we will see Him again, in His glory, in the fullness of time.
We are never too old to change... Never too good for change. May we have a life-giving journey with the Lord in His passion, death and resurrection.
St. James the Great witnessed Jesus teaching with authority in the synagogue and the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law. He was present, together with John and Peter, when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. He was chosen to be among the apostles to accompany Jesus up to Mt. Tabor to pray. It was there that he witnessed the Transfiguration, with Jesus speaking to Moses and Elijah, as God spoke from a cloud. He also accompanied Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani before He was arrested.
